Mail-bag fastener



-(No Model.)

J. G. KENNEDY.

\ MAIL BAGFASTENER. No. 506,699. Patented Oct. 17, 1893.

swue'vtboz whzzawnneg Wbbweooao UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. KENNEDY, OF LEBANON, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BAG FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 506,699, dated October 17, 1893.

Application filed May 2, 1893. Serial No. 472,671. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN G. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Marion and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in mail-bag fasteners.

The object of the present invention is to prevent the cords of mail-bags becoming twisted and binding in the mail-fasteners.

Heretofore mail-bag fasteners have been provided at the ends of the cord casing with short partitions, but it has been found, by experience, that these do not prevent the cords twisting within the casing.

A further object of the invention is to obviate/the necessity by tying knots at the ends of the cords to prevent the latter fraying out, as knots have been found exceedingly inconvenient in handling mail-bags.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings-Figure l is a perspective view of a mail-bag fastener constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a reverse plan view.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a flat label-holder of the usual construction, with an opening 2 for the exposure of the label, and having one end 3 closed and the other end open. In order to facilitate the insertion of the label in the holder an extension or lip 4 is provided at the open end of the label-holder, which lip is preferably formed by extending the upper plate of the label-holder. A cord casing 5 of the usual construction is mounted on the top of the label-holder and is provided with the openings 6 and 7 at the top and is pivotally mounted into a pair of cord fastening levers 8, arranged at each side of the casing in the usual manner. The cord casing inclines upward from the end 3 of the label-holder to within a short distance of its other end and then inclines downward; and in order to prevent, absolutely, any twisting of the cords 9, a central longitudinal partition 10 is arranged within the cord casing. The longitudinal separating partition of the cord casing extends from one end of the latter to the other and has'its upper edge inclined upward from both ends conforming strictly to the configuration of the cord casing and forming two ways or compartments for the cords, and entirely separating the latter.

The cord 9 is provided with a cylindrical tip 11, forming a socket for the cord and having its outer end rounded and provided at its inner end with an annular flange 12. The tip does not in any way interfere with the use of the cord; it subserves all the purposes of a knot and it will not catch in obstructions like a knot.

It will be seen that the cord fastener effectually prevents the twisting of cords incident to the ordinary fasteners, and that knotting of the cords is obviated.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or'sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having described the invention, what I claim is- A cord fastener comprising a label-holder, and a cord casing secured to the label-holder and provided in its top with openings and tapering from its ends, cord fastening levers fulcrumed in the casing, and a continuous partition arranged Within the cord casing and extending longitudinally thereof from one end of the casing to the other, and having its upper edge tapered and dividing the casing throughout the entire length thereof into two separate cord compartments, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN G. KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

S. B. BOTTOM, W. I. ABELL. 

